clvl 73 Summoner/Werebear can't get past Hell Quest 2! ifr

[freakkler]

clvl 73 Summoner/Werebear can't get past Hell Quest 2!

Ok. This is my FIRST post. Hope to get some advice on how to progress solo with my druid build.

I realise equipment plays a BIG role with this build as I'm suffering from low resistance and ain't got any good runes to get armors i.e. CoH.

clvl 73
Strength 123
Dexterity 89
Vitality 240
Mana 25

Main skills (including +skills +items)
23 Dire wolfs
11 HoW
3-5 Bear
6-9 Shockwave
12-15 FireClaws
4 Armaggedon

Basically, what I have are 22 skill points left, 32 stats points left
. Afraid to waste them since I encounter similar difficulty with my clvl73 necromancer in progression beyond Hell quest 5....
Advice please?

My main equipment:
Rare alpha helm -- +1 all skills, +2 Armaggedon
Spirit Shroud Ghost armor -- +1 all skills, magic damage -10
Magnus Sharkskin Glove (set)
M'vina Sharksin Belt (set)
War Traveller War Boots (unique)
Raven Frost Ring, Nalgering Ring, Nokazoc Relic Amulet (all uniques)
Weapon 2H -- Buriza-Do Kyanon Ballista (unique)
Weaopn 1H -- FleshRender Barb Club + Ward Gothic Shield (both uniques)

I usually use Weapon 2H for fast play but pretty impossible in Hell. Weapon 1H is painfully slow but with 'OK' resist.

Any good suggestions on further progression? Hmm, I'm kinda sick levelling in NM since clvl66. Can't seem to get higher end runes. :sad2:

 

[mustermann]

im not sure about what Equip a summoner needs but i think u need skills:
helm:Jalals, u can get it for some pg (perfect gem)
Shield:Spirit ,lidless eye i u dont have the str for spirit. both cheap.
Armor:Enigma*G* for u a 1skill armor is good, u got one.
Gloves:Lying on hands for fire resist and ed
boots:gore rider>wartraveler
weapon:6xshael phaseblade. the best weapon with fireclaws. U do fire damage not phys damage. tough ur damage should be pretty low...dunno what build u do

 

[Jary]

Here's what you need to do. First off, you gotta know your limits and don't bite off more than you can chew. Conquer nm, work your way up till you're at a lvl comfortable to tackle hell.

Suggestions:
each game in nightmare, do the following...
-1 countess run
-1 nm mephisto --> always scale the durance 2 wall to the left to find stairs.
-1 eldrich and shenk real quick, then start over.

Mid-level equipment advice:
-Buriza + Shael, you'll easily get a shael after a few nm countess runs. np
-IK gloves, belt, boots. cheap but great AR bonuses, damage, and resists
-use ravenfrost, and anghellic ammy + ring. You have cold immunity on ravenfrost, ditch spirit shroud for a Duriel Shell. All cheap options.
-pick up Jalal and Shael it

You'll then be perfectly set, happy huntin' ^.^

 

[freakkler]

Yeah, thanks for the helpful advice.
Just some additional info., i'm dealing about 528-1521 damage with my fireclaws/2Handed Buriza-Do Kyanon Ballista; or 461-698 fireclaws/1H FleshRender/Ward Gothic...and all my resistances are RED (except fire).

It seems for 1H weapon, only crowbill and phase blade are FAST enough for killing relatively faster.

Hey Jary, are those runs you suggested supposed to aid me in runes-huting?? Yeah, NM Mephisto gave good items 75% of the time, so sick of running him. haha, but I reckon I need runes more badly than good items for my current situation.

Shall try your runs to see how things go...

 

[Jary]

Yeah. The nm countess is a safe & easy way to horde up on Shaels. Do a good 5-10 and you should see a shael or a couple Sol runes to bump up to shael. Heck, even if you find Dol or Hel you can easily take those and trade for shael.

You need to socket your Buriza with shael to greatly increase its killing speed. Other good choices for weapons would be Ribcracker, even not 'uped' it'd give amazing damage bonuses with your fireclaw. You can even use one of the Sols and a few of the lower runes, find a descent damage 4 soc Polearm and make yourself an 'Insight' to throw on a A2 normal combat merc, that'll give you a good medic for survivability, helps a lot: 'Ral+Tir+Tal+Sol'

Fireclaw is sort of an all or nothing skill to be effective. How many skill points do you have remaining? All the remaining points you have... throw 'em into Firestorm & Fissure from now on. That'll bump your damage up from ~500 -->3,000 damage fireclaw dramatically. Then as you go along, get arkanes valor, shape ammy, Jalal's helmet, etc... just ideas, you're fireclaw damage will boost even further, prolly up to ~7k damage range.

Another important thing. I see you're going more of a low dexterity, low block build so far. I don't know if you were planning on using a shield but if you're gonna go the more 2-hander route with Ribcracker, IK maul, etc in the future (which both work amazing might I add with shaels) I suggest throwing a point into shockwave. Even at ~lvl 6-8 it's very good stun... if a couple nubs close in on you, you can stun them all by clicking shockwave close to your char's body and that'll give you just enough time to take 'em all out. You mentioned Hell quest 2? Bloodraven right, well you can shockwave all her minions then just run past 'em and finish her off with a few powerful blows with fireclaw.

 

[freakkler]

Hey Jary, thanks for the heads-up.

Basically, when I starting this soloing werebear build, my goal was to focus on 2 trees only, shapeshifting + summoning. I have 22 skill points left and 32 stats points left. The reason why I haven't used them is because I knew this build of mine was going to be equip-dependent. Hence I hoarde the points to see what sort of equipment I have, i.e. a good 2H weapon or a good 1H weapon; also things like runes. I do have 2 shaels, 1Amn, 3 Dols, 1 Io. ...and the rest are ordinary.

I still have the quest rewards of "imbue and add sockets" but haven't found a 'good' use for them. I don't reckon it's a good idea to socket my Buriza-Ballista since my difficulty is with PI &/or FI monsters in Hell coupled with the fact that I 've low Resistances. Can't do Insight, I'm soloing...remember ...Was using a Thorns Act2 Merc with Hwanin Majesty Crown n Bill...till I failed at BloodRaven. Was armed with a Sparking Mail Chain Mail (Exceptional, Cubed it) too.
Just switched to Act1 Cold Merc today, hoping she will hit BR for me! haha


Yes, I do note what you just said 'Fireclaw is sort of an all or nothing skill to be effective.' Geez, i really don't know man, I'm stuck at Hell and am tired of NM runs. But still wish to try sticking with the 2 Trees that I set out when I started this Druid build. Hmm...but still thanks for the advice.

Yeah, my current plan is to increase SW by 1-3 points and HoW to 15 from my current 12. Hopefully that should take care of Blood Raven. My failure stems from her raising of the Undead ....hahaha, I was facing litterally 30+ of them ...and she still had 50% life left. :shocked: Big thanks for the SW thingy. Backed up my intentions....feel more confident now to try her again. Cheers mate.

 

[GandalfTheGhey]

You wasted too many skill points on random skills.

drop the rest of your points into grizzly.

If your a summoner why didn't you max grizzly? How can you expect your summons to do any damage?


A summon build is like this:

20 in a sage ( HOW or Oak )
20 in grizzly ( mandatory )
1-20 in spirit wolves
1-20 in dire wolves
1 in your vine of choice

the rest put in whatever you want

Some people go the shapeshifting route

 

[freakkler]

My aim was not to be an excellent killer ....but fun all the way. That explains why I'm using a combi of werebear skills + dire wolfs/HoW. It's roughly 50/50 weightage for this build of mine.

Yeah, i did get past BloodRaven.

 

[Jary]

ok I see. What I think he was pointing out was, about 90% of your summon damage actually DOES come from points in grizzly alone. That's just how they made it synergize with the patch. So by not putting points in grizzly, basically negating the damage part... then stacking in HoW... its sorta like an oxymoron heh.
Spirits wolves = AR
Dire wolves = life

So you want your pets to have more life, survivability... throw more in Dire wolves. If you want more damage, grizzly. IF they have poor defense throw a few more in spirit wolves.